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Devki Group of Companies has won unanimous approval from shareholders of Kishushe Ranch to begin mining in Taita Taveta County, clearing a local consent hurdle that has stalled projects in the area.
The go ahead came at a special general meeting attended by county and national officials, investors and community representatives, according to local reporting. Andrew Mwadime called the vote a turning point for a county that sits on mineral deposits but has struggled to attract big industry.
Harry Kimutai told the meeting the project must comply with the Constitution, the Mining Act and other regulations, framing it as a test of responsible investment.
The ranch and the company also outlined benefits aimed at residents: priority hiring for local workers, purchases from suppliers based in the county, and support for community projects. Officials said one early infrastructure pledge is upgrading the Maktau-Kishushe-Ndii road to bitumen standard.
Devki chairman Narendra Raval thanked county and national leaders for what he described as a stable investment environment, noting that earlier attempts to invest around Kishushe had run into obstacles.
Kishushe Ranch officials said the resolution followed consultations and reflected the views of shareholders. Lawmakers from the area, including MPs Danson Mwashako, Khamis Chome and Peter Shake, attended alongside members of the county assembly.
The vote comes as mining deals on Kenya’s coast face fresh scrutiny, with communities complaining about licensing and benefit sharing. The Kishushe site, about 60,000 acres held by the ranching cooperative, has become a symbol of those tensions. Officials have said brokers and cartels have discouraged investors and delayed development.
Researchers have noted that Taita Taveta’s mineral wealth, especially gemstones, can bring conflict when permits, land rights and community royalties are unclear and enforcement is weak.
National newspapers have described the Kishushe plan as an iron ore project that has lurched through decades of starts and stops. Supporters say large scale extraction could feed local manufacturing and lift incomes in a county where formal jobs are scarce.
Even with local consent in hand, the project still has to satisfy national licensing and environmental requirements. Kenya’s Mining Act bars mining without a permit or mineral right. It also provides that the government acquires a 10% free carried interest in large scale mining projects.
County officials pitched the investment as part of a wider industrialisation push, arguing that raw minerals should be processed closer to where they are found. Mwadime said value addition, not just extraction, is what can change household fortunes in Taita Taveta over time.
Community leaders pressed for clear timelines, transparent hiring and safeguards on land and water, according to local coverage. The company and officials said engagement would continue as operations ramp up, with the county expecting road works and local procurement commitments to start early.
